Page 29 - Engineering Plastics Handbook

Chapter
1

Chemistry of Polymerization*

James M. Margolis †
Margolis Polymers
Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada

The fate of an engineering resin begins with polymerization technology.
Finished product properties and applications are largely allowable or
disallowed according to the choice of polymerization methods,
monomers, polymerization process conditions, and catalysts. The chang-
ing choices for polymerization to improve polymer functionality and
costs make information on the chemistry of polymerization especially
important. Engineering thermoplastics polymerization methods influ-
ence polymer compositions, product design, properties, and processes.
In Part 1, products and design are described in Chap. 2, properties in
Chap. 3, and processes in Chap. 4. In Part 2, the chapters are written
by experts at principal engineering resin producing companies world-
wide that produce the polymer that is their chapter subject; except
Chap. 5, “Polyacetals,” which is prepared by the editor of this handbook,
Jim Margolis of Margolis Polymers.
The chemistry of polymerization for polymeric macromolecules differs
significantly from that of smaller molecules. Small molecules are
assumed to be the same length and the same molecular weight (MW).
Styrene monomer MW is 104.15 g/mol, and propylene monomer is

*The chapter author, editors, publisher, and companies referred to are not responsible
for the use or accuracy of information in this chapter, such as property data, processing
parameters, and applications.
†
Author can be contacted at margolispolymers1@verizon.net or by writing him at
Margolis Polymers, 40 Twilight Avenue, Keansburg, New Jersey 07734 USA.
3
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